Horseshoe.



W. J. KENT.

HORSESHOE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.6.1913.

l 1 5 1,797 Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

INVENTOR By Atzowwys,

6 m gag/ 1c 8% WILLIAM J. KENT, OF NEW YORK, NQY.

HORSESI-IOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented Am. 31, 1915.

Application filed March 6, 1913. Serial No. 752,354.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM J. KENT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a composite horseshoe having a shell of metal and a cushioning face of rubber or other suitable material. I

The accompanying drawings show the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure l is an under side view of the metal shell; Fig. 2 is an under side view of the complete shoe, the rubber being partly broken away in section; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the shoe shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one half of the shoe showing its toe portion out through in section; Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on the lines 55 and 66 respectively in Fig. 1; Figs. 7 and 8 are sections on the lines '4"-7 and 8-8 respectively in Fig. 2'; Fig. 9 is a section of the unfinished shoe (in the same plane as Fig. 7) showing the die used for clenching the metal shell upon the rubber.

The metal shell A. shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6, comprises a plate a which fits against the horses hoof after the manner of any ordinary metal horseshoe, and which has the usual nail holes a; an inner rim or flange 6 which follows the inner contour of the shoe, heel flanges c c which extend around the heel portions and follow the outer contour of the shoe adjacent to such heel portions, terminating at 0 adjacent to the rearmost nail holes; an outer margin or flange d which extends around the snoe just within the nail holes and just within the toe calk e, which latter may be of any suitable shape and size. The shell A also has an intermediate partition fpreferably integral and forming a wall or flange which subdivides the space between the inner flange b and the outer flange (Z, thus forming between these respective flanges two parallel grooves, sockets or recesses g g which merge into one at the heel portions, since the flange 7" terminates preferably at about the points shown in Fig.

1. The flange f is best made intermittent, at least at its outer part, so as to form a succession of teeth or lugs which in the clenching operation to be described are bent alternately to right and left. The flange (Z at the toe is preferably partly separate from the toe calk e, as best shown in Fig. 6, in order to leave its projecting portion free to be bent inward to clench the rubber cushion, as will be described.

The cushion B, which is preferably made of rubber or rubber composition, is shaped to enter the sockets or recesses g g and the shown. The heel portions 7c in are preferably made flat, and to give a better frictional cling are roughened preferably by parallel intersecting grooves, as shown. The

portions e' j are preferably made with a rounding surface as shown.

To unite the parts A and B theyare first fitted together (with or withoutthe interposition of any cementing material) and are then permanently fastened by clenching or inbendingthe metal to tightly embrace the rubber. The cross-sections, Figs. 7 and 8, show the preferable extent of this inbending or clenching. The continuous flanges Z) and (Z are bent inward at their edge portions so that they crease into and indent the rubber. The intermediateflange fhas its separate teeth bent alternately to right and left so as to intermittently clench the respective cushions i and j of the rubber. For thus clenching the metal upon the rubber, it is preferable to use a die which in plan conforms to the contour of the metal shell, and which in cross-section is shown in Fig. 9, where it is shown applied to the shoe and just before it is pressed down to perform the clenching. This die has recesses m n to receive the rubber cushions 2' j; it has inclined faces 0 p to engage the flanges 5 cl and press their edge portions inwardly; and it has an intervening rib g the lower part of which is beveled alternately to right and left, thus forming teeth corresponding to the serrations of the rib or flange f, whereby to bend the latter alternately outward and inward so as to clench it against the respective rubber cushions c and j. The effect of this clenching is apparent from the cross sections Figs. 7 and 8 and from the sectional portion of Fig. 2. The clenching operation is performed by forcing down the die D by means of a suitable press or a suitable drop hammer.

It is preferable to incline the lower or wearing face of the rubber cushion B, mak-' shell, it is preferable to corrugate or roughen the under side of the plate a thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. This roughening is most important in the heel sockets h it, where alone it is shown on the upper half of Fig. 1; but it is also desirable to extend the roughening entirely through the recesses 9, this being shown on the lower half of Fig. l, and in Fig. 6.

It is preferable to provide the shoe with the usual toe clip 1", and if desired one or more side clips 7 may be provided, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

The cushion portion B of the shoe may be made of any suitable substitute for rubber. or other cushioning material, such as a suitable fiber or fibrous composition.

The metal shell A may be made of any suitable metal, preferably steel, and may be made by casting, or preferably by drop forging.

The improved shoe provided bytliis invention combines the advantages of a metal shoe and the advantages of a rubber horseshoe pad. The metal portion fastens to the hoof as firmly'and efiectively as any metal horseshoe; While the rubber or equivalent cushioning portion affords the desirable resilience for diminishing the efiect of con cussion, and also affords a non-slipping surface which is peculiarly advantageous on asphalt or wood block pavements, on which horses are so liable to slip andfall.

The subdivision of the cushioning part into two parallel but separated ribs such as i and j, is an important feature of the invention. So also is the provision in connection therewith of the undivided heel portions 70, where greater strength is required to sustain the pressure or weight of the horse. The toe call: 6 is designed to afford the horse a. hold in the crevices of stone pavements, the rubber ridges directly behind this calk being adapted to yield sufficiently to permit the calk to thus engage such recesses.

By making the shoe (either the metal or rubber portions, or both) of greater thickness at the heels, the hoof is slightly tipped forward and thereby the strain of the tendons so often experienced by horses is re- 1 lieved.

p The roughening of the under side of the plate a may be ,finer or coarser as desired, a

fine roughcning being shown in the lower half of Fig. l and a coarser roughening at .the heel portion alone at the upper half of that figure and in Figs. 6 and 8.

In fitting this composite shoe to the hoof it is sometimes necessary to bend it outwhich otherwise would be the weakest part,

I form at the rear of this toe portionof the shoe a thickening or reinforcement .9. That is, instead of carrying the rear wall of the flange 6 vertically as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 6, I thicken it rearwardly as there shown. The shoe is thus strengthened so as not only to enable it to withstand and properly distribute the strain of bending, but also, whether bent or not, to better resist the strains to which it is subjected in practical use.

The rib r of the die D may variously clench or indent the serrations of the flange f. For example it turn the alternated portions thereof fully inward or outward in alternation; or it may turn only aportion of each of the alternated teeth, the latter mode being the one shown in the sectional part of Fig. 2, where f shows the middle portion of one of the teeth turned or clenched into the rubber.

Qthe fastening means may be provided whereby the rubber cushion on its lower face is divided into the two parallel portions 2' 7', it being immaterial whether the portions of cushion above the wearing face are thus divided, as by the presence of the intermittent flange the important features being that the cushion be divided into two ribs or ridges, whereby a better and more non-sliping hold upon the pavement is afforded, and that the cushion be fastened notonly by the inner and outer margins, but alsoalong a line intermediate of these margins.

The invention may be modified in many respects without departing from its essential features which are set forth in the subjoined claims. 7 i

I claim as my invention l. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having a top plate and dependent encircling walls forming a socket extending around the shoe from heel to heel, the outer wall being inside the nail holes, and the cushion seated in said socket and being undivided at the heels and divided forward of the heels to present parallel separated ribs on its lower surface.

'2. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having encircling walls forming a socket extending around the shoe from heel to heel, the outer wall being inside the nail holes, and the cushion seated in said socket'and being undivided at the heels and divided forward of the heels to present parallel separated ribs on its lower surface, and of greatest thickness at the heels and projecting beneath said walls to form yielding heel cushions.

3. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having encircling walls forming a socket extending around the shoe from heel to heel, the outer wall, being inside the nail holes, and the cushion seated in said socket and being undivided at the heels and divided forward of the heels to present parallel separated ribs on its lower surface, and said encircling walls bent inwardly to engage the cushion.

4. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having encircling walls forming a socket extending around the shoe from heel to heel, the outer wall being inside the nail holes, and a flange between said walls dividing said socket forward of its heel portions into two channels, and the cushion seated in said socket being undivided at the heels and divided forward of the heels into parallel portions fitting into the channels of said socket on opposite sides of said flange.

5. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having encircling walls forming a socket extending around the shoe from heel to heel, the outer wall being inside the nail holes, and a flange between said walls dividing said socket forward of its heel portions into two channels, and the cushion seated in said socket being undivided at the heels and divided forward of the heels into parallel portions fitting into the channels of said socket on opposite sides of said flange, and of greatest thickness at the heels and projecting beneath'said walls to form yielding heel cushions.

6. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having encircling walls forming a socket extending around the shoe from heel to heel, the outer wall being inside the nail holes, and a flange between said walls dividing said socket forward of its heel portions into two channels, and the cushion seated in said socket being undivided at the heels and divided forward of the heels into parallel portions fitting into the channels of said socket on opposite sides of said flange, and said encircling walls bent inwardly to engage the cushion.

7. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having encircling walls forming a socket, and an intermittent flange between said walls dividing said socket, said flange being bent alternately outwardly and inwardly to engage said cushion.

8. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having encircling walls forming a socket, and an intermittent flange between said walls dividing said socket, said flange being bent alternately outwardly and inwardly to engage said cushion, and said walls being bent inwardly, whereby the cushion is held be tween the outer walls and the intermediate flange.

9. A horseshoe comprising a metal shell and yielding cushion, the shell having a top plate and dependent encircling walls forming a socket extending around the shoe from heel to heel, the outer wall being inside the nail holes, and an intermittent flange between said walls dividing said socket forward of its heel portions into two channels, the flange terminating in advance of the heel portions .whereby to leave the heel sockets undivided.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. KENT.

Witnesses THOMAS F. VALLACE, FRED lVHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

